


Like the cream in your coffee

by milka121



Category: Tales of Zestiria
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Mikleo is a tsundere, Sorey wearing pink frilly apron, awkward Mikleo, coffee shop AU, or rather coffee shops AU, the title is a pun, writing this took definitely too much time of my life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-12
Updated: 2017-02-12
Packaged: 2018-09-23 19:04:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,114
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9671909
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/milka121/pseuds/milka121
Summary: Mikleo can't handle the sugar-coating.Or: Coffee Shop AU with Mikleo and Sorey as rivals. Or that's what Mikleo thinks.





	

**Author's Note:**

> I have stumbled upon [this prompt on tumblr](http://angelandfaith.tumblr.com/post/156878399530/i-passed-a-coffee-shop-with-a-blackboard-outside) and rebbloged it with tag "Someone please write this!" Suprise. This someone is me.
> 
> Thanks for helping, Mai! Love you!

At the street near Ladylake University, there were two coffee shops. If you went down by that particular street, you could easily pinpoint the blackboard next to one of them.

The words on blackboard said, as follows:

“ _The key to happiness is to lower your expectations...”_

And, at the bottom of the board, in very small hand-writing:

“ _...nope, even lower!”_

If you had gone further, at the other side of the street you could find out the second board. On which were the words:

“ _I don’t need a motivational quote. I need coffee.”_

* * *

“You have a battle coming,” Rose said. Mikleo rolled his eyes.

“I don’t care what you think,” he brushed off. “That… person _insist_ to write some weird things on their blackboard, so the least I can do is to try to somehow balance it with normality. I mean, all is nice, but the point of having a blackboard outside the shop is to attract customers. Not share cute Tumblr-like quotes.”

“Huh. So you admit, that’s kind of cute.” Rose smirked. Mikleo really wanted to smack her, but he knew that hitting one of their regular customers would not be a good idea. And, besides, he was sure that Lailah was watching, and physical abuse in presence of the manager was... well. Also not a very good idea.

“That’s not relevant,” he said. “The point is, this overly brightness and sugar-sweet optimism is exhausting.”

“Oh, can’t you just leave him be? That’s just a quote.”

“No.” His brows knitted. “And besides, how do you know that’s a ‘he’?”

Rose snickered. “Easy. I bought a coffee there and asked about the quote. Turns out, that guy is very friendly. And handsome.”

“Not relevant,” Mikleo repeated. “Still, you can’t write something that sappy and expect the rest of humanity to go with it.”

“Aren’t you overreacting a little? That’s a _quote_ on a blackboard, not a damn life-ideology or something.”

Mikleo’s nose wrinkled. “No.”

Rose shrugged. “Your choice.”

* * *

The next day, on the coffee shop across the street blackboard was written: _“You will never have this day again… so make it count!”_

Mikleo, on _his_ blackboard, wrote: _“_ _Make this day count by buying_ _a_ _coffee.”_

* * *

“Oh boy,” Lailah said. “Oh boy.”

Mikleo raised his brow. “What’s going on?”

Lailah chuckled and send Mikleo a bright smile. He send her a confused glare. “Lailah, seriously-”

“Why don’t you look outside and check for yourself?” she asked, still smiling. She pointed at something across the street.

Or rather, someone. A boy. A man. Handsome man. With shabby brown hair and ridiculous apron. And even more ridiculous orange feather earrings.

But, the most important thing was: he was writing. On a blackboard. _The_ blackboard across the street that has became Mikleo’s focus of attention.

“So, that’s him,” Lailah said. “Interesting.”

“If by ‘interesting’ you mean ‘without any sense of style’, then, yes.” Mikleo shook his head. He could help but tolook one more time at the boy across the street.

The pink apron he was wearing was absolutely horrible and should be considered a disgrace to humanity itself. The manager of that shop must have been a sadist. Or just really no-good at choosing uniforms for their employees.

The boy across the street finally ended writing – no doubt yet another cute nonsense – and got back into his shop.

“That’s so romantic,” Lailah said with dreamy expression on her face. “It’s like writing secret letters to each other!”

Mikleo groaned. “More like hate mail.”

* * *

Mikleo frowned. This time, he had a problem.

“ _In case no one told you this today… You look beautiful!”_

How the hell was he supposed to counter that? “The coffee is the most beautiful sight?”

No. Way too sappy. And without enough sarcasm.

“Damn it,” he swore.

“Language,” Lailah said.

“There aren’t even customers here yet, why do I need to be polite?”

“Because I’m your manager, and I’ll kick you out if you are rude to me. And then you will be forced to work with that boy across the street.” Her mouth curved into a smile.

“You wouldn’t dare. I make the best caramel latte in town.”

“Well, even the legendary Mikleo’s Latte won’t be a help against a pure, faithful optimism, it seems.”

“He’s just so… so...” Mikleo’s voice faltered. He couldn’t quite explain it with words, so he let out a sigh full of irritation hoping Lailah would understand anyway.

Apparently, she didn’t, because she send him one more of her “I-can-feel-the-love-tonight” smile.

“Maybe we will make Rose spy on him?” She suggested. “To learn more about him.”

“Why?” he asked.

He drummed his fingers on the table, half-thinking about what he should answer, when...

_In case no one told you this today… Coffee is better than beauty._

“Beat you to it today,” he whispered and jumped to his feet. He smirked to himself, seeing Lailah surprised face, grabbed some chalk and run out of the shop.

He quickly erased the text from the day before and scribbled down his line. He couldn’t help a smile from appearing on his face.

That is, until the door from the shop across the street opened and Mikleo saw That Boy.

He froze.

That Boy froze.

Mikleo noticed Boy was still wearing that freaking apron.

And then, The Boy smiled to him.

Mikleo stuck out his tongue at him and run away.

* * *

“His name’s Sorey,” Rose said the next day.

“And why do I need that information?” Mikleo rolled his eyes.

“Actually, he asked me to tell you.”

Mikleo blinked owlishly. “Tell _me_?”

“Well, that weren’t the words he used, exactly. It was more like: ‘that pretty white-haired barista from across the street stuck out his tongue at me, so I feel like he should know my name.’ ” She smirked. “You have a weird way of flirting, but hey, at least it worked.”

“I wasn’t flirting!” Mikleo opposed. “I showed a sign of malice and working rivalry.”

“Say what you need to make yourself feel better.” She winked at him, taking a sip of her coffee and Mikleo really regretted not putting anything poisonous in her cup. “He looked more than happy knowing that you noticed him, though.”

“How could I not?” Mikleo mumbled. “He’s a pain.”

Rose looked at Lailah and the women exchanged meaningful looks. Mikleo frowned. “Hey!”

“Well, what are you going to do about it?” Lailah asked.

“What do you mean, ‘do about it’? I’m going to do what I always do. Crush him.” He cocked his head. “I will make him regret-”

Mikleo stopped. He looked at Rose, and his eyes went round. “Wait. What did you say?”

“I didn’t say anything.”

“No, I mean- what _did he say?_ ”

Rose’s smile widened.

“Oh no,” Mikleo said. “Did he _really_ said that… Like… word for word?”

“Mhm.” She nodded, and Lailah giggled.

“Hey, that’s not funny!” Mikleo snapped. He hoped that the blush he felt creeping on his face was not as visible as he thought it was. “It’s not my fault that he… he thinks I’m-”

“Pretty?” Rose smirked again, curling her lips like a cat, seeing Mikleo’s cheeks rapidly reddening. “But you are a pretty boy, Mikleo! And he isn’t so bad either!”

“He wears pink, frilly apron at work! And has an orange feather earrings!”

“Eh, that’s not important.” Rose waved her hand. “He’s hot. You’re hot. I see a pattern here.”

“No!” Mikleo protested again. “No way in hell. He’s stupid, irritating-”

Lailah eyes wandered, her gaze focusing on something on the street. “Oh, he’s here.”

“WHA-?” Mikleo half-shouted and spun around.

Yes. It was That Boy – Sorey – heading in their direction. Without the apron this time. Maybe he wasn’t working now.

The bell at the door ringed when Sorey opened the door. He looked around carefully, glancing at Lailah and Rose…

...And then his eyes fell on Mikleo.

He smiled. Mikleo froze.

“Hey,” Sorey said, making his way to him. “I’ve heard you make a great caramel latte.”

“Yes,” Mikleo answered quickly. Maybe a little too quick. He bit his lip.

Sorey’s eyes widened, his lips delicately curving into a careful smile.

“Well. Then, please make me one…?” Sorey said, something like a suggestion swaying in his voice, as if he wanted to add ‘that is, if that’s not too much trouble’.

Mikleo nodded and spun around, darting towards a coffee machine as fast as he could without it looking like an escape. This position now, it was good. He didn’t need to look Sorey in the eyes (green eyes, he noticed), he didn’t need to think, he just had to make this damn coffee and get it over.

It was surprisingly hard to hate Sorey up close. But, then again, not being able to hate him was also mildly irritating.

When Mikleo was done, he grabbed a marker, wanting to write down a name on a cup.

“My name is-”

“I know,” Mikleo interrupted him, again too quick. Sorey made a surprised face.

“Really?”

“Yeah.” Mikleo couldn’t bring himself to look Sorey in the face. Was it rude? Oh, it definitely was. Damn. “Rose told me,” he added.

“Oh. Okay,” Sorey said.

Mikleo finally looked up. And Sorey _beamed_ at him with the brightest, most sincere expression Mikleo has ever seen. It shouldn’t be possible to look like that. That should be illegal, Sorey being all… nice, and at the same time _weird_ and…

 _Damn. What should I say? Are Lailah and Rose_ \- Mikleo’s eyes darted around, but he didn’t see a trace of the women. They must have gone to the back room. Oh God.

 _Quick_ , he reminded himself, _say something!_

“You don’t wear that horrendous apron anymore,” Mikleo blurted out and immediately wanted to hit himself.

Sorey blinked. “Oh,” he said. “Is it that bad?”

“ _Worse_ ,” Mikleo murmured. Sorey chuckled.

“Edna makes me wear it every time I’m at work. She thinks it attracts customers… or something.”

“Edna?”

“My manager. She’s really strict about rules. The problem is, she makes up all of them by herself.”

“And she lets you write all those weird quotes at the blackboard just like that?”

“You think they are weird?” Sorey asked, and, damn, Mikleo could have felt a tingling guilt pooling in his stomach. Sorey looked like a kicked puppy.

“I-” Damn, was he really going to say that? “I don’t, I mean – they are cute. Usually. Sometimes.”

Smile returned to Sorey’s face so fast it seemed almost impossible. “Oh! Then, maybe you would like to see the new one?”

“The new one?” Mikleo asked. He was sure he had read and countered the today’s quote, but Sorey beamed again.

“Yeah! I, kind of… Anyway, you should definitely see it!”

“Oh. Okay, then.” Mikleo nodded. Sorey send him a reassuring smile, and Mikleo’s lips twisted unconsciously, reciprocating the expression.

That was bad. He wasn’t supposed to act like that. Sorey was supposed to be his nemesis, the enemy, rival, not- whatever that was.

_(Maybe Sorey didn’t want to be his rival to begin with…?)_

Mikleo shook his head.

When they arrived by Sorey’s coffee shop, Mikleo’s eyes darted towards the blackboard.

At the blackboard it was written:

“ _I forgot my phone number, could you give me yours?”_

Mikleo looked at the board. Then at Sorey. Then again at the blackboard.

“Are you kidding me?” he asked.

“What? You don’t like it?” Sorey’s smile fell. And Mikleo, once again, felt horrible about it.

“This is stupid,” Mikleo muttered. “And sappy. And has no sense whatsoever.”

“Oh.” Sorey looked down. “Then, I’m-”

“Of course I will,” Mikleo blurted out.

That was stupid. Dumb. Idiotic. Mikleo’s face should be placed in the dictionary at the definition of stupidity, alongside with Sorey’s.

But some part of his mind, that small, flustered part, kept telling him that seeing Sorey’s face lit up was absolutely worth it.

* * *

Rose peeked into the shop from behind backroom doors.

“Are they gone?” Lailah asked.

“Yeah,” Rose said, quickly making her way to the windows.

“Mikleo looks awkward even from this distance.”

“So. It worked.” Rose smirked. “It really worked!”

They high-fived, Lailah giggling and chuckling like crazy. “I can’t believe it! Our small Mikleo, growing up, falling in love...”

“Huh, I was more worried about Sorey,” Rose said, still looking with a smile at the boys talking across the street. “I mean, he’s a nerd. And can’t act. He could screw it up million times.”

“Well, I guess he is really determined, then,” Lailah said. “Things we do for love.”

When Mikleo came back, clutching a small scrap of paper with Sorey’s phone number written on it, Lailah and Rose burst into laughter.

And from across the street, Sorey gave them thumbs up.

**Author's Note:**

> Some of the lines I wanted to use but didn't:  
> \- “May your coffee be hot as you are.”  
> \- “Drink coffee! Do stupid things faster & with more energy”  
> \- “Hot as hell, pure as an angel, sweet as love...”  
> “Who are you talking about?”  
> “Coffee.”


End file.
